Released by Greenville County Schools.
(On Aprl 14th), in an 11-page order, the U.S. District Court of South Carolina awarded a portion of attorneys’ fees and other expenses requested by the American Humanist Association in the ongoing legal matter involving student-initiated religious speech.
While the Court conceded that AHA was the technical prevailing party and was therefore entitled to a fee award, they stopped short of awarding the full amount, granting the AHA $446,466 in attorney’s fees and $9,776 in other expenses.
Throughout this case, the School District has argued that students, like other citizens, have the right to free speech, including that of a religious nature.
On this main point, Greenville County Schools successfully convinced the Court to uphold its consistent position on the central issue of protecting student speech and supported the district’ belief that students should be allowed to speak from a religious or secular perspective at a graduation.
The School District has and will continue to remain committed to protecting students’ rights to free speech, while remaining neutral to religion.
The School District will discuss the path forward with the insurance carrier covering the defense of this case, but anticipates appealing both the fee award and the decision upon which it was based to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
